Wal-Mart to start trading food and smart phones for used video games

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it will allow shoppers to trade in used video games for anything from groceries to gadgets across its 3,100 stores from March 26.

The trade-in service will accept games for popular consoles like the Sony PlayStation3 and Microsoft Xbox 360, and customers can in return buy any item for sale at Walmart and Sam’s Club, both in stores and online, Wal-Mart said.

“Gaming continues to be an important business for us and we’re actively taking aim at the $2 billion pre-owned video game opportunity,” Duncan Mac Naughton, chief merchandising and marketing officer for Walmart U.S., said in a statement.

The traded-in games will be refurbished and made available to buyers later this year.

Retailers such as Best Buy Co., Target Corp. and GameStop Corp. also offer trade-in programs for used video games.